Free Resources
Free Hunter admissions resources.
Guides to every part of the process, plus a free planner you can open on this site.
Free resources and guides
Start with the guides parents ask for most, then open the free planner.
Hunter Admissions Overview
Who can apply, the score screen, and what the application includes.
Read the guideKey Dates
The application window and exam date for this cycle, with a live countdown.
See the datesExam Preparation
What each section of the entrance exam asks for, and a week-by-week plan.
Plan preparationSchool Fit
What to weigh beyond selectivity before your student applies.
Think it throughParent FAQ
Short answers to the questions families ask most.
Read the FAQFree Hunter Exam Planner
A one-page plan with a step-by-step checklist, free on this site.
Get the plannerFree download
The Hunter Exam Planner
A one-page plan for eligibility, the application, and exam preparation, with a step-by-step checklist. Free, and it opens right on this page.
Your Hunter exam planner
The dates and rules that shape the year, then a plan to work through in order.
- Who can apply
- For the 2027 entrance exam (fall 2027 entry), a candidate must meet all three criteria: current grade, NYC residency, and a minimum qualifying score.
- Score screen
- For the January 27, 2027 exam, the minimum 5th grade NYS scale scores (Spring 2026) are 478 in ELA and 497 in Math.
- Application opens
- For fall 2027 entry, the HCHS application opened at noon on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
- Application due
- For fall 2027 entry, the HCHS application is due by 2:00 PM on Friday, December 4, 2026.
- No Scores testing
- For fall 2027 entry, approved 6th grade qualifying testing (No Scores route) must be completed by Monday, December 21, 2026, and the child must score at the 90th percentile in both Reading and Math.
- Exam day
- For fall 2027 entry, the Hunter College High School Entrance Exam is on Wednesday, January 27, 2027.
- Make-ups
- There are no make-up dates for students who miss the entrance exam.
- The exam
- The HCHS Entrance Exam has three sections: Reading Comprehension (50 multiple-choice questions), a Writing Assignment, and Mathematics (30 multiple-choice questions).
- Timing
- Students have three hours for the whole exam and may complete the three sections in any order.
- 01
Confirm all three eligibility criteria against your own documents, including the 5th grade score report, before anything else.
- 02
Submit the application well before the deadline, and keep a copy of the score screenshot you upload.
- 03
Take one of the published sample exams under real timing, with no calculator, to see where your student stands.
- 04
Build weekly practice around the weakest section first: reading passages, math without a calculator, or timed writing.
- 05
Practice the writing assignment on fresh prompts, planning for a few minutes before drafting.
- 06
In the last two weeks, take a second full timed practice and rehearse how to split the three hours.
- 07
Plan exam-day logistics early, because there is no make-up date.
Dates and rules can change. Check each one on the school's own admissions pages.